What to Engrave on Your Medical ID

Essential Information for Engraving Your Medical ID

If you’re unable to speak or communicate in the event of an emergency, medical ID can be a life-saver. It’s important to engrave your ID with essential medical information so that it can do its job.
Unsure what details you need to include? Our handy guide covers the most important information to engrave on your medical ID:

Full name

Medical conditions

Medication and allergies

In case of emergency details (ICE)

Choosing Your Medical ID

Before you purchase your medical ID, you need to consider what kind of design is best for you. If you need to display detailed information about your medical condition, choose a design that can be engraved on both the front and the reverse. Alternatively, there are plenty of designs which can display multiple lines of engraving.

If you don’t want your medical information to be on display, go for a design that has room for engraving on the reverse. Alternatively, our SOS Talisman designs feature a capsule, which holds your vital information safely inside until it’s needed.

What Should I Engrave on my Medical ID?

Engraving your medical details is the most important part of the process – you need to list as much relevant information as possible.

What’s great about engraveable medical ID jewellery is the freedom to include the information that will give you peace of mind. You can tell us exactly which details you want to display and we will handle the rest.

We recommend that you speak to your doctor before buying, so they can advise on what needs to be engraved.

Give Your Full Name

If your preferred emergency contact isn’t available, having access to your full name allows medical professionals to find contact details for other family members.

Providing a full name is also incredibly important for children’s medical ID, as they won’t be carrying recognised forms of identification, such as a driving licence.

Provide Details of Your Condition and Medication

Although space is relatively limited on a medical ID tag, it’s important to list as much information as possible. It goes without saying that you should always list your primary medical condition first.

If you take daily medication to manage your condition, you should engrave this on your medical ID. Paramedics need to know what treatments and medications are safe for your condition so they can avoid complications or side effects.

Allergy Information

It’s also useful to list any allergies you have so the first response team can treat you correctly. When you list your allergy information, it’s vital that you state that it’s an allergy. For example, if you just include the name of the medication, paramedics may think you’re taking the medication, not that you’re allergic to it.

Bear in mind that it’s equally as important to let medical professionals know if you don’t have any allergies at all. It’s worth engraving “no known allergies” or “NKA” for short, so the paramedics can quickly administer the suitable treatment.

Abbreviate Where Possible

You might need to use abbreviations to shorten the name of your condition. Ensure it’s one that medical professionals will understand, e.g. CHD for Coronary Heart Disease. You can find a list of the most common medical abbreviations here.

If you have a complex medical condition, consider carrying additional information on a medical ID card in your wallet. You must indicate on your medical ID jewellery that you are carrying further details elsewhere. If you choose a design that features a double-sided engraveable tag, consider including the text “see reverse”.

In Case of Emergency – ICE Details

No one wants to be alone during a medical emergency. Including your emergency contact details on your medical ID allows paramedics to alert your family members.

If you’re worried about space, you can abbreviate ‘In Case of Emergency’ to ‘ICE’ – medical professionals will know exactly what this means!

The Engraving Process

When specifying the information you want to have engraved on your medical jewellery, it’s important to proofread and spell check your details. There’s no harm in asking one of your family members to look at it for you – two sets of eyes are better than one!

It’s also worth noting that we will engrave your details exactly how they are stated when you place your order, which includes your use of capital letters.

At the ID Band Company, we want to make your engraving as clear as possible; that’s why we use a laser marking machine for all items apart from silver. This method leaves a smooth, sharp, permanent mark on the item. For silver items, we use traditional engraving machines to achieve engraving of the same high-quality as laser marking.

The information in our blog articles is for personal use only and not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment plans. We are not medical health practitioners or mental health providers. If you’re worried about a potential medical condition, contact your GP or call an ambulance in an emergency situation.